Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, home to hundreds of native animals, and New York City's only federal bird sanctuary -- is under attack by US Senator Gillibrand's new bill to require the USDA's Wildlife Services agents to kill all the Canada geese and their goslings at Jamaica Bay refuge in June and July of 2012. This wrong-headed, shocking attack on native birds in a federally protected sanctuary has united Friends of Animals and others to oppose the wrong-headed scheme. Friends of Animals has announced a protest at Senator Gillibrand's New York City office on Thursday, May 3rd, 5:30 pm at 780 Third Ave, between 48th & 49th Streets.

We are demanding that Senator Gillibrand Kill the Bill, Not the Geese. Please call NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's Washington DC office and ask to speak to Legislative Assistant Jordan Baugh at 202.224.4451.

Gillibrand's proposed legislation would force killing agents into the refuge, and it would require them to kill geese during their annual June and July feather molting season when they're unable to fly.

"Both baby geese and adults are stuffed into crates and slaughtered during this process. Air safety will only be improved by focusing on deterring geese and other birds from airports through habitat modification, effective land-use planning and radar detection, not by killing Canada geese or any other birds that planes share the skies with," said Edita Birnkrant, NY Director of Friends of Animals. "Simple solutions such as allowing grass around runways and airport property to grow several inches higher instead of mowing it can keep away flocks of geese and other birds that would otherwise be drawn to the short, mowed lawns," Birnkrant adds.

Gillibrand's half-baked bill proposal comes after two planes in the New York City area made emergency landings due to collisions with birds in the past two weeks. Since 2009, Mayor Bloomberg has approved the killing of resident Canada geese in public parks throughout New York City, claiming that killing geese will improve air safety. Friends of Animals has opposed this plan and stress that only modifying habitat around airports and utilizing proactive tools such as bird radar detection will successfully deter geese from airports and improve air safety.

Gillibrand's targeting of Canada Geese is illogical, and ignores the fact that New York City is actually creating the situations that attract birds to airports, Friends of Animals says. Both Mayor Bloomberg and the FAA approved the creation of a massive garbage transfer facility to be built next to airport runways, a dangerous move that will guarantee birds being attracted to those areas

"Mayor Bloomberg and Senator Gillibrand may care about air safety yet they're ignoring the obvious-that killing birds drawn to a refuge while attracting birds to use the grounds around airports won't make plane travel safer," Birnkrant says. "Geese are not going to be eradicated from the skies," Birnkrant added.

It is a refuge for wildlife where the birds consider safe. This half-baked idea is ridiculous and must be stopped. Why is it that killing is the first thing to come to these peoples mind instead of other alternatives more humane and intelligent. Consult with real wildlife experts and leave the geese alone. We will speak with our votes.

I am saddened and angered that Mayor Bloomberg and Senator Gillibrand (both of whom I have supported in the past), have taken to short sighted tactics to solving this problem. If we are to continue with these bad habits when it comes to other living creatures that have shared the earth for as long as we have been here, we will soon drive all species to extinction. Since mankind more and more fails to see itself as the problem and the intruder, what will survive. I strongly urge these two NY area political leaders to listen to people who are truly experts regarding wildlife, and stay out of the habitat. There are other wiser strategies for coexistence that doesn't harm the wildlife. We will be watching and speaking with our votes!